bigotterbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, what to say about this one!! Emily Castles is one of the best cozy series I have read this year. I know I say that about a lot of books ;-) but this book blew me away! It wasn’t overwrought or violent/gory or even funny ha ha hysterical. It was all so civilized and low-key and the psychic dogs were perfect!! The human characters were eccentric in the best possible ways and Emily was a treat.
She is called upon to act as a “future crimes investigator” at a scientific/paranormal Belief and Beyond conference. The twist is a famous magician is offering a $50,000 prize to anyone who can prove the paranormal exists. When a vision of a drowning at the conference becomes a real possibility, Emily tries to put the clues together before it’s too late. Add in several very engrossing sub plots and I was up way too late reading this book!
She is called upon to act as a “future crimes investigator” at a scientific/paranormal Belief and Beyond conference. The twist is a famous magician is offering a $50,000 prize to anyone who can prove the paranormal exists. When a vision of a drowning at the conference becomes a real possibility, Emily tries to put the clues together before it’s too late. Add in several very engrossing sub plots and I was up way too late reading this book!
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in the book here: Travel to Torquay with Helen Smith and Emily Castles
This is a very British and quirky read. Full of seaside humour and seaside shenanigans and it will remind you of what is unique about a British seaside resort and the people who go there. It's fun and a cosy read and a great case for Emily who I would put in a room with Agatha Raisin and Kate Shackleton and stand back to enjoy the banter.
It's a very unique visit to Torquay as well - involving magic, mayhem and mysterious goings on.
Enjoy with icecream or a cup of prawns with a cocktail stick
This is a very British and quirky read. Full of seaside humour and seaside shenanigans and it will remind you of what is unique about a British seaside resort and the people who go there. It's fun and a cosy read and a great case for Emily who I would put in a room with Agatha Raisin and Kate Shackleton and stand back to enjoy the banter.
It's a very unique visit to Torquay as well - involving magic, mayhem and mysterious goings on.
Enjoy with icecream or a cup of prawns with a cocktail stick
thewordwitch's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly quaint, incredibly British, quick but pleasant read. :)
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
Beyond Belief is a 2014 Thomas and Mercer publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This cozy style mystery is centered around Torquay where a group of spiritualist from all sides of the spectrum intend to gather at the “Belief and Beyond” conference. But when psychic Peg senses an crime before it's committed, Emily is asked to attend the conference as a “future crimes investigator”
“Over here, you call the police to tell them you got a message from the other side, and your hear them sniggering before they put the phone down-
“ I told them I'd had a premonition someone would die in Torquay this weekend. And the person on the end of the phone actually says to me, ' Madam, we don't have a future crimes unit.' The cheek of it!”
So, Emily agrees to tag along in hope of preventing a death. But, nothing could have prepared her for the insane personalities she was about to encounter, the seances and magic tricks, and religious fervor, but the premonitions were not off the mark, making Emily's job no illusion. She will have to figure out what is going on before more deaths occur.
All cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this light and zany story filled eccentric characters and a real whodunit to solve. Emily is a little low key and one gets the idea she is only moderately interested in detective work and is always happy when the case is over so she can return to her normal, if a tad dull, life. I liked her skills as an amateur detective. and the cast of characters in this one was so diverse it made it hard to pinpoint the killer or the motive.
So overall this was delightful and lighthearted mystery and an enjoyable read. 4 stars
This cozy style mystery is centered around Torquay where a group of spiritualist from all sides of the spectrum intend to gather at the “Belief and Beyond” conference. But when psychic Peg senses an crime before it's committed, Emily is asked to attend the conference as a “future crimes investigator”
“Over here, you call the police to tell them you got a message from the other side, and your hear them sniggering before they put the phone down-
“ I told them I'd had a premonition someone would die in Torquay this weekend. And the person on the end of the phone actually says to me, ' Madam, we don't have a future crimes unit.' The cheek of it!”
So, Emily agrees to tag along in hope of preventing a death. But, nothing could have prepared her for the insane personalities she was about to encounter, the seances and magic tricks, and religious fervor, but the premonitions were not off the mark, making Emily's job no illusion. She will have to figure out what is going on before more deaths occur.
All cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this light and zany story filled eccentric characters and a real whodunit to solve. Emily is a little low key and one gets the idea she is only moderately interested in detective work and is always happy when the case is over so she can return to her normal, if a tad dull, life. I liked her skills as an amateur detective. and the cast of characters in this one was so diverse it made it hard to pinpoint the killer or the motive.
So overall this was delightful and lighthearted mystery and an enjoyable read. 4 stars
bookbriefs's review against another edition
5.0
I am a big fan of mysteries. Take that and add in the victim being a celebrated magician, and a big contest at the Belief and Beyond conference to anyone who can prove that the paranormal exists? How could I not read this book? Emily Castles is a young sleuth and she kind had a nancy drew vibe going on. Another huge plus for me. Beyond Belief, despite the fact that this is a serious murder mystery novel, it is actually surprisingly funny and was a very fun read. I know that sounds strange, but the mixture of the humor and the suspense of the mystery were an awesome combination for me. I loved this book. I couldn't guess the twists and turns and the story had me completely engrossed and on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Beyond Belief is the second book in the Emily Castles Mysteries series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I didn't read the first book in the mysteries series so I am not sure how much set up and background character information was given in the first book, but I never felt lost or out of plce while reading this story. The only thing I thought about was whether or not I would have gotten to know Emily Castle a little better through the first book. I feel like we did get to know her in this story well enough, but she was surrounded but such crazy and loud other characters that she seemed almost mousy in comparison. And I know that she wasn't someone that I would classify as mousy on her own. She is spunky and independent and very resourceful, but even with all of that, she still felt overshadowed by all of the "look at me" eccentric people around her.
I am now a fan of Helen Smith. I need to check out more of her books based on her writing in Beyond Belief. She is just so spot on with her descriptions. I found myself nodding along appreciatively when I could picture EXACTLY what she was describing. I just loved it. This book will have you laughing, and scratching your head right along with Emily trying to solve the case. Beyond Belief was a huge hit for me!
Beyond Belief is the second book in the Emily Castles Mysteries series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I didn't read the first book in the mysteries series so I am not sure how much set up and background character information was given in the first book, but I never felt lost or out of plce while reading this story. The only thing I thought about was whether or not I would have gotten to know Emily Castle a little better through the first book. I feel like we did get to know her in this story well enough, but she was surrounded but such crazy and loud other characters that she seemed almost mousy in comparison. And I know that she wasn't someone that I would classify as mousy on her own. She is spunky and independent and very resourceful, but even with all of that, she still felt overshadowed by all of the "look at me" eccentric people around her.
I am now a fan of Helen Smith. I need to check out more of her books based on her writing in Beyond Belief. She is just so spot on with her descriptions. I found myself nodding along appreciatively when I could picture EXACTLY what she was describing. I just loved it. This book will have you laughing, and scratching your head right along with Emily trying to solve the case. Beyond Belief was a huge hit for me!
thequietgeordie's review
2.0
Interesting concept, but I certainly felt that it was not aimed at a UK audience.
lackadaisily's review
3.0
Beyond Belief is a fun story that felt more like a murder mystery party than just an ordinary thriller. From the very beginning, we're thrust into the heart of the mystery and find ourselves immersed in the lives of several oddball characters all drawn together to the Beyond and Belief conference at a seaside resort by the impending fate of magician Edmund Zenon.
As far as main characters go, Emily isn't the most interesting, and it was a bit bizarre that her main qualification for the job was her "connection" to her dead dog, but the rest of the side characters surely made up for it. Composed of a mismatched group of philosophers, magicians, psychics, and religious fanatics, each character has their own eccentricities and beliefs that made their interactions enjoyable to read about. I particularly liked Bobby Blue Suit, an endearing psychic, and his three dogs with a few special tricks you don't see in other dogs. I'm not sure yet if there will be more books in the Emily Castles Mystery series, but if there are, it would be really nice to see if Bobby Blue Suit were to make another appearance in the future.
The beginning was a bit heavy on exposition, but it's forgivable considering most of it was used to build up the backgrounds of many of the key players. The story really starts to pick up halfway through the book when the body count starts to rise, and by that point, I was fully engrossed in the mystery. Who is this murderer? Why are they killing certain people? Why are they so focused on Edmund Zenon? And what is the password? I found it difficult to put the book down in anticipation to the answers to all my questions. Helen Smith actually managed to answer them all with an ending I didn't expect. I wish the climax of the story could've been more exciting instead of just Emily explaining everything, but I was satisfied with the answers.
As I said before, the story reminds me of a murder mystery themed party. You have a group of random people thrown together for a short time (one weekend) at a relatively isolated place (Hotel Majestic in the small town of Torquay) who are united and forced to work together to solve a murder. As someone who has always wanted to participate in such a party, this style worked for me. I especially like the touch of humor Helen Smith added to her writing that kept this book from getting too dark, so if you're a casual reader of mystery thrillers who would prefer something lighter without the gore and violence, then this book is for you.
[ SEE REVIEW @ BOOKCHARMED ]
As far as main characters go, Emily isn't the most interesting, and it was a bit bizarre that her main qualification for the job was her "connection" to her dead dog, but the rest of the side characters surely made up for it. Composed of a mismatched group of philosophers, magicians, psychics, and religious fanatics, each character has their own eccentricities and beliefs that made their interactions enjoyable to read about. I particularly liked Bobby Blue Suit, an endearing psychic, and his three dogs with a few special tricks you don't see in other dogs. I'm not sure yet if there will be more books in the Emily Castles Mystery series, but if there are, it would be really nice to see if Bobby Blue Suit were to make another appearance in the future.
The beginning was a bit heavy on exposition, but it's forgivable considering most of it was used to build up the backgrounds of many of the key players. The story really starts to pick up halfway through the book when the body count starts to rise, and by that point, I was fully engrossed in the mystery. Who is this murderer? Why are they killing certain people? Why are they so focused on Edmund Zenon? And what is the password? I found it difficult to put the book down in anticipation to the answers to all my questions. Helen Smith actually managed to answer them all with an ending I didn't expect. I wish the climax of the story could've been more exciting instead of just Emily explaining everything, but I was satisfied with the answers.
As I said before, the story reminds me of a murder mystery themed party. You have a group of random people thrown together for a short time (one weekend) at a relatively isolated place (Hotel Majestic in the small town of Torquay) who are united and forced to work together to solve a murder. As someone who has always wanted to participate in such a party, this style worked for me. I especially like the touch of humor Helen Smith added to her writing that kept this book from getting too dark, so if you're a casual reader of mystery thrillers who would prefer something lighter without the gore and violence, then this book is for you.
[ SEE REVIEW @ BOOKCHARMED ]
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